Tory's Woods Preserve
Managed by Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
207 acres2.2 mi of trail
Northern TrailSouthern TrailGrosbeck TrailMiddle Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
M-28-Sand River Bridge · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Onota Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Onota Township
The biggest trail networks: Tory's Woods Preserve (2.2 mi), Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) (1.3 mi), Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park (1.1 mi). 32% of Onota Township’s land is conserved, about 17,916 acres. 2,976 acres are parks and preserves, 6,842 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
32%
17,916 acres · of 87.7 sq mi of land
Trails
78 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,976 ac
6,842 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
23%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
13 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
4 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Tory's Woods Preserve, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
785 acres1.3 mi of trail
North Country Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
438 acres1.1 mi of trail
North Country Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Harry and Hattie Handford Memorial Nature Sanctuary
Managed by Michigan Nature Association
43 acres0.3 mi of trail
Mallette Point Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Tory's Woods Preserve207 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
DirectionsEscanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)785 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park438 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Harry and Hattie Handford Memorial Nature Sanctuary43 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Michigan Nature Association
Escanaba River State Forest201 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLaughing Whitefish Lake Preserve1,657 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Deer Lake Preserve239 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Deer Lake Roadside Park6 acres · Michigan Department of Transportation
DirectionsWho protects it
17,916 conserved acres
32% of Onota Township’s land. Water is left out: Onota Township has 87.7 square miles of land and 15.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Onota Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service14,782 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,209 ac
State parks441 ac
Other state land342 ac
State natural resources156 ac
Town or city5 ac
National Forest · 14,782 acPrivate Conservation · 2,209 acState Park · 441 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 317 acState Conservation Area · 156 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 26 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiawatha National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 14,782 | Open |
| Laughing Whitefish Lake Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,693 | Open |
| Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park State Park | State parks | 441 | Open |
| Michigan State University Private Recreation or Education | Other state land | 317 | Open |
| Barbara L. Piper Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 242 | Restricted |
| Tory's Woods Conservation Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 234 | Restricted |
| MNRTF Parcel 82 State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 156 | Restricted |
| Handford Memorial Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 40 | Open |
| Township Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Onota Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Onota Township
Au Train Bay Boat Launch
DirectionsJohn H. Hammer Public Access
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.4 miUnpaved · 19.5 mi
North Country Trail9.3 mi
County Road 3392.2 mi
Mallette Point Trail1.5 mi
Old M-281.4 mi
Northern Trail1.0 mi
County Road 4570.9 mi
FS 25990.8 mi
County Road 4070.7 mi
Southern Trail0.5 mi
Grosbeck Trail0.5 mi
4 more trails
Slapneck Spur C
0.5 miCounty Highway 408
0.5 miPaulson South Spur A
0.4 miMiddle Trail
0.4 miBiking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
off-road bike paths
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
M-28-Sand River BridgeStructure · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Onota Township: May, June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 25 | 27 | 36 | 47 | 61 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 67 | 54 | 41 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 75 °F). 3.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Onota Township →
Next door
Onota Township and its neighbors
Onota Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Au Train Township270 miOnota Township78 miChocolay Township54 miRock River Township35 miSkandia Township19 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onota Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rock River Township | 17% | 0.4 | 2,525 | 26% | A− |
| Chocolay Township | 3% | 0.9 | 186 | 37% | B+ |
| Au Train Township | 58% | 1.9 | 43 | 16% | A− |
| Skandia Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Onota Township
Where can I hike in Onota Township?
The longest trail networks: Tory's Woods Preserve, 2.2 miles; Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South), 1.3 miles; Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park, 1.1 miles; Harry and Hattie Handford Memorial Nature Sanctuary, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Onota Township’s trails?
Tory's Woods Preserve and Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Onota Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Onota Township?
66,087 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Onota Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 14,341 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Onota Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →